Are you being told to clean toilets at work?

[noblegiraffe]

If cleaning toilets wasn’t previously anywhere near your job description?

It’s being claimed on another thread that this is just part of the new normal, everyone is pitching in. I’m not convinced.

YABU - I’m being asked to clean toilets

YANBU - I’m not being asked to clean toilets

If you are, are you ok with it?

[quote FishyDuck]@DomDoesWotHeWants

It’s not about dropping anything. Teachers will simply have to extend their day past 3.15 to fit in the additional cleaning.

I suspect many will have directed tone to make up after the last few months in any event![/quote]
Do stop digging. It's embarrassing watching your struggle with reality.

Teachers work well beyond the hours that children are there. But you know that.

Put the shitty spoon away, you've been rumbled.

Yes. In our offices all door handles & surfaces that are multi use are cleaned every 3 hours. It includes the toilets but is more the handles, taps & flush buttons that people will have touched rather than toilet bowl itself.

However this is done in normal work time, not whilst on breaks. So it’s while it’s not ‘beneath’ anyone, I can see practical problems for some people. Mostly the problems can be solved though if the person wants to.

Teachers will simply have to extend their day past 3.15 to fit in the additional cleaning.

This is hilarious. Actually now I remember that you time your employees for their loo breaks and drinking time it all makes sense.

Remember that teachers can already be instructed to carry out any instruction from the headteacher.

Nonsense.

How have we got to the point where the public sector is so underfunded that skilled people who are desperately needed to be doing their actual job are clearing up shit instead, and so under-appreciated that people don’t see a problem with that?

How? Because the public largely ignored the campaigns to increase funding and abused teachers for being greedy and wanting more money.

@FishyDuck still waiting to hear what you would like them to drop as all the workload surveys show teachers work between 50-60 hours weeks.
I can do it 3:15 as long as I don’t need to mark work. I can do it at lunchtime, as long as I don’t need to change reading books or set up the next lesson.
I would have request that I can occasionally sleep and see my own family.

Fishyduck is a wind up merchant, FYI. Get a look at the posting history.

Italian, Don't rise to it. Even if we had plenty of time, I'm not doing it.

So, sue me! Fire me. Whatever. Good luck in replacing me though.

[quote FishyDuck]@DomDoesWotHeWants

It’s not about dropping anything. Teachers will simply have to extend their day past 3.15 to fit in the additional cleaning.

I suspect many will have directed tone to make up after the last few months in any event![/quote]
Where is the money coming from to pay for staff outside their contracted hours (which isn't the time you stated btw).

After the pupils go home, they still have work to do including respond to parents, and everyone else who is involved in the lives of individual pupils in some cases. Marking, planning etc.

So which part of that do they give up?

Some staff within schools have already got the no mask policy reverted with union help btw. I'd be best mates with my union rep at the moment. If your place hasn't got one, I advice trying to convince someone to take on the responsibility. I found bad SLt's hate it because they know the Union Rep gets constantly trained and updated, but they still have to let them if it's supported by union staff members.

Regardless of where I worked, I'd be looking to join a Union to ensure my legal rights are protected and coshh. etc is adhered to. Protect yourselves from the martyrs lol. Before you know it, these things will become your new work normal. By doing it, after a certain amount I'm sure it then becomes easier for it to be a standard part of your contract.

But I'm no legal expert and it's a long time since I worked for someone else. Was thinking about it just before CV, but nope even if I could find somewhere to hire me, not a chance.

Someone mentioned they work in a GP office. Whoodewoo. At least you know the medical background of the persons shit you are about to clean! unlike random office worker colleague. Are you also walking out whilst seeing a patient to go and clean up?

Does anyone think Boris and co are taking their turn at cleaning the HoP loos? Or can we safely assume that sufficient funding will be found so that they don’t have to dirty their hands.

@CallmeAngelina I know, I should know better. I blame exhaustion!

If schools are not funded properly in order to open safely (with PPE, cleaning materials and additional staff for effective cleaning), then they directly bear the responsibility when Covid spread accelerates out of control again.

No! I work in a hospital. Hasn't occurred to anybody the toilets are a commonly used area.......

My friends who are teachers are cleaning after every use, I'm picking my way through loo roll on the floor and hoping the sanitary bin isn't overflowing

No! I work in a hospital. Hasn't occurred to anybody the toilets are a commonly used area.......

My friends who are teachers are cleaning after every use, I'm picking my way through loo roll on the floor and hoping the sanitary bin isn't overflowing

The likes of fishduck can spout all the shite she likes, bottom line if teachers refuse to clean pupils toilets they cannot be made to, and no amount of "aren't the unions terrrrible" will change the fact that there are hard won employee rights in this country.

How anyone realistically thinks this will work. is staggering. I don't even think they have children that have ever attended any state school tbh.

How can parents seriously think any guidance in place will last is beyond me. Funding is the massive tumbling block. Remember teachers and staff were already buying class supplies - pritt sticks, pencils etc out of their own pockets because no money. Meanwhile "helpful" parents insisted the playground needed more. Anyone else notice that? It's always funding for the playground never anything practical.

I can see all these little things school staff do start to dry up when it will include bring your own cleaning products and welcome to the new school diet. If the virus doesn't kill you off, chances are the lack of food and water will see to it.

@walker1891you also forgot lazy

In our school budget constrictions mean our cleaners have had their hours cut! We cannot afford the cleaners which is why TAs and office staff are being asked to clean.....
@BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou and that is why you should all say no. If the giver meant want schools open they’ll have to find the money to ensure they are sufficiently cleaned not to be a health hazard. Do not take up the slack or nothing will ever improve.

No.

This hasn't happened and wouldn't happen in my role. I am happy to wipe the toilet seat before I use it for myself....with my own antibacterial wipes, but I wouldn't be asked to clean the toilets for general use.

If more cleaning is required, they would employ more cleaners.

[quote FishyDuck]@noblegiraffe

Where on earth are the the government going to find the money to fund tens of thousands of extra cleaners? The money is simply not available.

Supposing that a magic money tree were found, any extra funding that is available would be far better spent on teaching and learning.

Teachers will have to do their part in ensuring that schools can open by cleaning the toilets on a rota basis either before and after school or at break and lunch times.[/quote]
But using teachers for cleaning is wasting teaching and learning mo yes. My hourly rate is more than that of a cleaner - it’s actually cheaper to get a cleaner to do it than me, and I can be doing teaching and learning activities with the time instead. You surely aren’t suggesting it should be as unpaid overtime?

Nurse and, no never been asked.

You surely aren’t suggesting it should be as unpaid overtime?

Of course she is. Pitch in before or after after school and give up breaks(not that we have any anymore) and lunch(again gone and unpaid anyways).

I love sr1nkle's idea that it takes 5 minutes to wipe a toilet. The (unisex) toilet black at my school has 12 toilets. Pupils will be going on Year bubbles, staggered at 30 a time. Five minutes 🤣🤣
Oh and I have to clean all surfaces in my classroom between lessons - I have 10 minutes tops to clean 30 tables and chairs, wipe cupboards etc.

It seems like teachers are at the bottom of the safety pile. Need masks everywhere- shops, transport, hairdressers ... Nah, not teachers. Need social distancing - teachers? No of course not. Need PPE to clean areas where mass urine and faeces have been dumped? Not teachers.

Can you see why we feel a bit pissed off? Someone will come along and say 'well in my office ' but please think about the actual comparisons

My husband (male teacher) works at an SEN school. Under the direction of the (male) headteacher, everyone including the senior management team is cleaning toilets. Nobody particularly enjoys it but it’s accepted that it’s needed.

I have done numerous things way outside the scope of my social worker job role in extraordinary circumstances. Yes, they involved toileting incidents and things I just will not describe because of dignity and privacy. This is a once in a generation pandemic, I consider this pretty extraordinary.

I do feel sorry for those who have to clean and balance their usual tasks. I suspect this will be me when we are back in the office. I shall have to suck it up.

YewHedge
Teachers/TAs are cleaning the toilets when the children are out in the playground or when there is a suitable point in the lesson eg the children are writing/drawing/watching something. In our school we are lucky as each class currently is staffed by 2 (adults either a teacher and a TA or 2 teachers). 
My sons teacher is supervising the classes breaks and lunchtimes. She also doesn’t leave a class of reception child alone to walk down the corridor, through the hall and to the toilets to clean them.

Neither do we - that's why I mentioned we are lucky enough to have 2 adults in the class - when one cleans, the other is with the children!